We may not be showing our spring/summer collection at Paris Fashion Week this week, but as creative directors of our lives, it feels good to make design decisions when the opportunity presents.

I love living in London. Overhearing conversations in exotic languages (it’s not classed as nosiness if I can’t understand what they’re saying), waiting no more than 2 minutes for the next tube to whisk me to my next destination and getting last minute tickets to a mid week theatre show are just some of the perks. But there are always two sides to every coin and living in a city like London is also very busy and very expensive.

I don’t have many friends based in London, but where I’m lacking in quantity I’m blessed with quality. It never ceases to amaze me though how difficult it is for five girls to co-ordinate a monthly drinks and dinner meet-up. No fewer than 20 emails are exchanged over the course of a week, or even two! And by the time we land on a date that works for babysitters, project deadlines, travel and other halves, we’re all simply aching for a good catch up.

Then there’s the expense. Thousands of Londoners are pursuing careers in IT, finance, telecoms and insurance in order to pay the bills while their sliding doors persona is upholstering furniture, painting landscapes and growing organic vegetables.

What with all this busy-ness and the need to make ends meet, the creative outlet can become a little blocked. At The Designer Den, you can get up close and personal with the artisans who handcraft tiles and rugs using only natural materials and centuries old techniques. Our design your own journey allows you to create your bespoke product by choosing your pattern, colour combination and size to best reflect your personal preferences and suit your home surroundings.